In a conventional dishwasher, liquid is sprayed onto the wash load in the wash chamber to remove soil from the utensils placed in the dishwasher. The liquid and soil removed from the utensils accumulates in the sump of the dishwasher where they can be removed from the sump through a drain. To minimize water consumption, many dishwashers further comprise a circulation circuit that reuses water that accumulates in the sump to clean the utensils placed in the dishwasher.
Typically, a filter will be located in or near the sump to filter or partially filter the liquid before it is circulated back to the wash chamber. The filters used to filter the liquid to be circulated often become clogged or blocked with filtered soil that may accumulate over time or soil that does not drain completely from the sump.